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Biology, Not Physics

Although we can talk about situations involving speeding up or slowing time and hit an answer, there's a whole other scientific realm available to this answer: biology. And while we don't know how to stop aging exactly (or exactly what causes it), a biology-based answer requires no less handwavium than physics (where we can say what to do but fundamentally lack things like exotic matter to actually execute on the idea).

Ultimately, the process of aging is an evolved characteristic that was deemed to be beneficial to us (though not to all creatures). One idea on why this is the case is that there may be evolutionary changes that disproportionately benefit us earlier in our lives but ultimately result in aging and death.

Telomeres

While the exact biological causes of aging have not been worked out yet, one idea is that telomeres are involved. Here is a basic explanation of what telomeres are and what they do:

Inside the nucleus of a cell, our genes are arranged along twisted, double-stranded molecules of DNA called chromosomes. At the ends of the chromosomes are stretches of DNA called telomeres, which protect our genetic data, make it possible for cells to divide, and hold some secrets to how we age and get cancer.

 

Telomeres have been compared with the plastic tips on shoelaces, because they keep chromosome ends from fraying and sticking to each other, which would destroy or scramble an organism's genetic information.

 

Yet, each time a cell divides, the telomeres get shorter. When they get too short, the cell can no longer divide; it becomes inactive or "senescent" or it dies. This shortening process is associated with aging, cancer, and a higher risk of death. So telomeres also have been compared with a bomb fuse.

 

Source

Thus there exists a theory that if one could lengthen telomeres - likely by an engineered retrovirus - aging itself could be slowed down, stopped, or (in some ways) even reversed.

While this theory would likely solve only part of the overall puzzle, there is reason to believe that therapies related to telomeres could reduce some of the symptoms associated with aging and (on average) lengthen ones remaining life - effectively making one "younger". Here's an interesting Wikipedia entry on some research along those lines.

Of course, there is the opportunity that messing with Telomeres will also benefit a number of forms of cancer, so the targeting mechanism will need to be good. At our current level of understanding that's where the handwavium comes in - though unlike a physics-based answer that requires forms of matter we can't conceive of generating at usable scale, this is a potentially solvable problem.

tl;dr

The twin on earth enjoyed the use of a new anti-aging therapy that was invented while their counterpart was zooming around space.

Biology, Not Physics

Although we can talk about situations involving speeding up or slowing time and hit an answer, there's a whole other scientific realm available to this answer: biology. And while we don't know how to stop aging exactly (or exactly what causes it), a biology-based answer requires no less handwavium than physics (where we can say what to do but fundamentally lack things like exotic matter to actually execute on the idea).

Ultimately, the process of aging is an evolved characteristic that was deemed to be beneficial to us (though not to all creatures). One idea on why this is the case is that there may be evolutionary changes that disproportionately benefit us earlier in our lives but ultimately result in aging and death.

Telomeres

While the exact biological causes of aging have not been worked out yet, one idea is that telomeres are involved. Here is a basic explanation of what telomeres are and what they do:

Inside the nucleus of a cell, our genes are arranged along twisted, double-stranded molecules of DNA called chromosomes. At the ends of the chromosomes are stretches of DNA called telomeres, which protect our genetic data, make it possible for cells to divide, and hold some secrets to how we age and get cancer.

 

Telomeres have been compared with the plastic tips on shoelaces, because they keep chromosome ends from fraying and sticking to each other, which would destroy or scramble an organism's genetic information.

 

Yet, each time a cell divides, the telomeres get shorter. When they get too short, the cell can no longer divide; it becomes inactive or "senescent" or it dies. This shortening process is associated with aging, cancer, and a higher risk of death. So telomeres also have been compared with a bomb fuse.

 

Source

Thus there exists a theory that if one could lengthen telomeres - likely by an engineered retrovirus - aging itself could be slowed down, stopped, or (in some ways) even reversed.

While this theory would likely solve only part of the overall puzzle, there is reason to believe that therapies related to telomeres could reduce some of the symptoms associated with aging and (on average) lengthen ones remaining life - effectively making one "younger". Here's an interesting Wikipedia entry on some research along those lines.

Of course, there is the opportunity that messing with Telomeres will also benefit a number of forms of cancer, so the targeting mechanism will need to be good. At our current level of understanding that's where the handwavium comes in - though unlike a physics-based answer that requires forms of matter we can't conceive of generating at usable scale, this is a potentially solvable problem.

tl;dr

The twin on earth enjoyed the use of a new anti-aging therapy that was invented while their counterpart was zooming around space.

Biology, Not Physics

Although we can talk about situations involving speeding up or slowing time and hit an answer, there's a whole other scientific realm available to this answer: biology. And while we don't know how to stop aging exactly (or exactly what causes it), a biology-based answer requires no less handwavium than physics (where we can say what to do but fundamentally lack things like exotic matter to actually execute on the idea).

Ultimately, the process of aging is an evolved characteristic that was deemed to be beneficial to us (though not to all creatures). One idea on why this is the case is that there may be evolutionary changes that disproportionately benefit us earlier in our lives but ultimately result in aging and death.

Telomeres

While the exact biological causes of aging have not been worked out yet, one idea is that telomeres are involved. Here is a basic explanation of what telomeres are and what they do:

Inside the nucleus of a cell, our genes are arranged along twisted, double-stranded molecules of DNA called chromosomes. At the ends of the chromosomes are stretches of DNA called telomeres, which protect our genetic data, make it possible for cells to divide, and hold some secrets to how we age and get cancer.

Telomeres have been compared with the plastic tips on shoelaces, because they keep chromosome ends from fraying and sticking to each other, which would destroy or scramble an organism's genetic information.

Yet, each time a cell divides, the telomeres get shorter. When they get too short, the cell can no longer divide; it becomes inactive or "senescent" or it dies. This shortening process is associated with aging, cancer, and a higher risk of death. So telomeres also have been compared with a bomb fuse.

Source

Thus there exists a theory that if one could lengthen telomeres - likely by an engineered retrovirus - aging itself could be slowed down, stopped, or (in some ways) even reversed.

While this theory would likely solve only part of the overall puzzle, there is reason to believe that therapies related to telomeres could reduce some of the symptoms associated with aging and (on average) lengthen ones remaining life - effectively making one "younger". Here's an interesting Wikipedia entry on some research along those lines.

Of course, there is the opportunity that messing with Telomeres will also benefit a number of forms of cancer, so the targeting mechanism will need to be good. At our current level of understanding that's where the handwavium comes in - though unlike a physics-based answer that requires forms of matter we can't conceive of generating at usable scale, this is a potentially solvable problem.

tl;dr

The twin on earth enjoyed the use of a new anti-aging therapy that was invented while their counterpart was zooming around space.

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Biology, Not Physics

Although we can talk about situations involving speeding up or slowing time and hit an answer, there's a whole other scientific realm available to this answer: biology. And while we don't know how to stop aging exactly (or exactly what causes it), a biology-based answer requires no less handwavium than physics (where we can say what to do but fundamentally lack things like exotic matter to actually execute on the idea).

Ultimately, the process of aging is an evolved characteristic that was deemed to be beneficial to us (though not to all creatures). One idea on why this is the case is that there may be evolutionary changes that disproportionately benefit us earlier in our lives but ultimately result in aging and death.

Telomeres

While the exact biological causes of aging have not been worked out yet, one idea is that telomeres are involved. Here is a basic explanation of what telomeres are and what they do:

Inside the nucleus of a cell, our genes are arranged along twisted, double-stranded molecules of DNA called chromosomes. At the ends of the chromosomes are stretches of DNA called telomeres, which protect our genetic data, make it possible for cells to divide, and hold some secrets to how we age and get cancer.

Telomeres have been compared with the plastic tips on shoelaces, because they keep chromosome ends from fraying and sticking to each other, which would destroy or scramble an organism's genetic information.

Yet, each time a cell divides, the telomeres get shorter. When they get too short, the cell can no longer divide; it becomes inactive or "senescent" or it dies. This shortening process is associated with aging, cancer, and a higher risk of death. So telomeres also have been compared with a bomb fuse.

Source

Thus there exists a theory that if one could lengthen telomeres - likely by an engineered retrovirus - aging itself could be slowed down, stopped, or (in some ways) even reversed.

While this theory would likely solve only part of the overall puzzle, there is reason to believe that therapies related to telomeres could reduce some of the symptoms associated with aging and (on average) lengthen ones remaining life - effectively making one "younger". Here's an interesting Wikipedia entry on some research along those lines.

Of course, there is the opportunity that messing with Telomeres will also benefit a number of forms of cancer, so the targeting mechanism will need to be good. At our current level of understanding that's where the handwavium comes in - though unlike a physics-based answer that requires forms of matter we can't conceive of generating at usable scale, this is a potentially solvable problem.

tl;dr

The twin on earth enjoyed the use of a new anti-aging therapy that was invented while their counterpart was zooming around space.